Ganta, Nimba County – The PYJ Polytechnic University, once a beacon of higher education founded by the late Senator Prince Yormie Johnson, Nimba County’s self-proclaimed “godfather”, has permanently shuttered its doors to the public following his death.
By D. Franklin Doloquee
Locked gates and silent classrooms now greet passersby, signaling the end of an era for the institution that symbolized Johnson’s ambitious vision for local empowerment.
Established in the early 2014 and started operation in 2022 amid Johnson’s post-war political rise, the university aimed to provide affordable education in fields like business, agriculture and health sciences, education, theology among others to Nimba’s Youth.
At its peak, it enrolled hundreds of students from across Liberia’s northeastern counties, fostering a sense of pride in a region scarred by civil conflict. Yet, since Johnson’s passing over a year ago, a bitter dispute between his widow and his children has paralyzed operations.
A tour by Front Page Africa reporter in the county indicating of the overgrown campus revealed dusty lecture halls, abandoned hostels and rusted signs bearing the PYJ logo no signs of life or reopening plans.
Students, many of whom had pinned their dreams on affordable degrees, now find their futures in limbo. “We invested time, money, and hope,” said one former enrollee from Sanniquellie, speaking anonymously.
“Now, transcripts are inaccessible, and our education feels stolen. The turmoil extends beyond academia.’’ FrontPage Africa has learned that the adjacent Voice of Faith Radio Station, another Johnson’s legacy for broadcasting evangelical messages and local news, remains shuttered after more than a year.
Administrators and teaching staff demand six months of back salaries before granting access to the wife of the deceased or other parties, deepening on the standoff.
Johnson’s lavish funeral rites underscored the irony of his divided legacy. His body toured five of Nimba’s six major cities Ganta, Sanniquellie, Karnplay, Bahn and Saclepea drawing massive crowds before his burial at his Ganta residence.
The events generated over two million Liberian dollars, bolstered by half a million USD from county social development funds. The influx of cash lured Nimbaians from Monrovia, many absent from prior funerals of county luminaries but eager to claim a share.
Nimba County Superintendent Kou Meapeah Gono praised the community’s contributions during the ceremonies but promised a financial report that has yet to materialize.
This has ignited heated debates among residents, marking the second such unfulfilled pledge the first tied to a district football tournament where angry citizens demanded transparency. “She pledged reports twice, but we’re still waiting,” fumed a Ganta trader.
“This erodes trust in leadership,” Political observers note the silence from Johnson’s professed loyalists. Those who professed undying love before his death have vanished,” one analyst remarked.
Even Johnson’s post-funeral feast was held in secrecy, attended only by a handful, including Vice President Jeremiah Koung. As weeds reclaim the PYJ Campus and echoes fade from Voice of Faith’s towers, questions linger: Will family reconciliation revive these institutions or will they join the list of Johnson’s unfulfilled promises?
